Girdle and method of making the same



Nov. 20, 1962 's T. METZ 3,064,655

GIRDLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed NOV. 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hull IIIHHHIW """Hlw x Y g/YENTOZS E"; 5'. Z24

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 20, 1962 s. T. METZ GIRDLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed NOV. 14, 1960 York Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 68,929 2 Claims. (Cl. 128546) The object of the present invention is to provide a girdle having full contour control and which will have excellent durability with very light weig t, and which provides venting at the front, from top to bottom of the structure, through the use of light net with transversely extending spaced ribbons, of special assembly, so that pressure strains by the abdomen at the front of the girdle will be resisted without tearing of the net, the light vented front of the garment having the same wear-resisting characteristics as remaining elements of the girdle. Thus the girdle can be constructed with a weight of only 6-7 ounces and yet have the durability of girdles having far greater weight.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of an embodiment of the invention looking at the front thereof.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of said structure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the girdle inwardly, and spread out with its ends broken away.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing one of the front panel vent members prior to its special formation for incorporation into the girdle front panel.

FIG. 5 is an edge view of the structure shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the members shown in FIG. 4 after final formation of the latter.

FIG. 7 is a two-view sectional drawing showing at the top mark a a section on the line 7a-7a, and at b a section on the line 7b7b, FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that at the front of the girdle at each side of the center panel assembly, and seamed thereto, is a relatively narrow panel 1, preferably of two-way stretch material. At the rear of the girdle is a wide band 2 which bridges side panels 3 of like construction and preferably roughly oval in shape as indicated by the side panels 3, shown fully in FIG. 3. The said rear top panel is preferably reinforced by a spaced boning indicated at 4, FIG. 3. As indicated in FIG. 1 one of the side panels is preferably provided with a longitudinal cut extending from the top of said side panel downwardly, and which receives a slide fastener arrangement indicated at 5, FIG. 1.

At the rear of the girdle is a major panel 6 of generally oval formation, seamed at its side margins to minor rear panels 7, which in turn are seamed to the side panels 3.

The vent front panel assembly of the girdle comprises two opposed sections of open weave net, each of which has seamed thereto spaced ribbons. The initial form of each of said members is shown in FIG. 4, the net being indicated at 8 and the ribbons at 9, the ribbons being seamed to the net at their margins. It will be seen from said FIGURE 4 that each of the said vent front panel sections gradually tapers from an intermediate area to- 3,064,655 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 ward each end thereof. Each net member at the abdominal area of the front vent panel assembly is reinforced to provide a plurality of three plies of net, and this has been found adequate to provide resistance to all normal strains placed upon the net. Also, such special strain resisting formation of the net will contour the assembly of net and ribbons, shortening its length, straightening out that face which is to lie centrally of the vent panel, and augmenting the curvature of the opposite margin, the change in formation being shown by FIGURE 5.

The said three ply reinforcement of each net front panel assembly member is obtained by folding the net upon itself immediately adjacent each of the abdominal area ribbons of the member, and with a tapered fold in each case, these folds being indicated in FIG. 6 at 10, and the margins of the folds being stitched down as indicated at H. In the present embodiment all of these folds of the net, with one exception, have the greatest degree or width of fold at the margin of the net member which will form a straight line at the center of the vent panel. However, the uppermost fold tapers down from the curved outer margin of the appropriate vent panel member.

The two vent panel members are identical, but as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawing, their straight edges are abutted, and the two members are held together by seaming to a vertical exterior ribbon 12, which may be reinforced by a tape 13, FIG. 3, at the inner face of the girdle.

In FIG. 3 the fold stitching 11 for the three ply folded areas of the net, has been omitted for clarity of illustration, and because it is well indicated in FIG. 6. The same is true with respect to FIG. 7, the two views of that figure also being enlarged to more clearly show the folds.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A light-weight vented girdle having a top and bottom and normaly vertical sides comprising an assembly of panels seamed together to form a front, back and sides of the girdle including a front panel adapted for overlying the abdominal area of the wearer, said front panel comprising two members of light net, each having curved outer longitudinal margins and having seamed thereto, horizontally of the girdle sides thereof, a plurality of spaced ribbons lying at least over the entire center area of the member, the exposed net of each of said light net members between adjacent ribbons being in width approximately that of said ribbons, the net being folded upon itself adjacent each of said center area ribbons, and thereby bringing one curved outer lon itudinal margin into approximately longitudinally straight formation, the folds being successively wedge-shaped to provide at each fold a three ply reinforcement of net, the two light net members being placed in juxtaposition at the vertical center line of said front panel, and an overlying ribbon-like reinforcement seamed to the ribbons and the net longitudinally of the said panel at the center thereof.

2. A method of making li ht-weight girdles vented at the front thereof, which consists in joining together by seaming, longitudinally with respect to the girdle, a plurality of fabric panels and including a front vent panel of net fabric formed in two opposed sections, including the step of forming two like net panel sections gradually tapering from an intermediate area' toward each end thereof, the step of marginally seaming to the net a plurality of transversely extending spaced ribbons and by seams marginally of each ribbon, and the step of forming a plurality of three p-ly reinforcements of the net by folding the net upon itself adjacent each of a plurality of said ribbons, the folds being in wedge formation and extending inwardly 1,986,841 Metz Jan. 8, 1935 2,628,353 Leventhal Feb. 17, 1953 2,722,008 Cantello Nov. 1, 1955 2,880,733 1959 Steiner Apr; 7, 

